Tracing Bay Area rivers from skyline to sea

1of3In a time-lapse photo, Peters Creek flows in miniature cascade through rocks in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve as part of its route into Portola Redwoods and through the "Lost World."Photo: Deane Little / Special to The Chronicle

3of3Upper Falls at Little Yosemite. The headwaters of Alameda Creek has been recharged by recent rainfall to create surging stream flows and miniature waterfalls in a pool-and-drop rocky gorge of Little Yosemite at Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness in East Bay hills near SunolPhoto: Tom Stienstra / Tom Stienstra / The Chronicle

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Tracing the Bay Area’s most beautiful streams at peak flow is a special way to imagine the trip that each drop of water takes from skyline to sea.

On the Peninsula Skyline, the headwaters of Pescadero Creek start as little Peters Creek, a beautiful brook that ripples through Long Ridge Open Space Preserve. In the East Bay hills, Alameda Creek forms as a small stream in remote Sunol Regional Wilderness, gathers strength in a series of miniature waterfalls in Little Yosemite, and eventually flows through Niles Canyon and into South San Francisco Bay. In Marin, a saturated aquifer on the north flank of Mount Tamalpais pumps water into a ravine that flows into Lagunitas Lake, routes through other smaller lakes and feeder creeks, eventually depositing in Tomales Bay.

The series of storms in the past month recharged dozens of creeks across the region; many feed into these three major streams. The best way to see the transformation is to trace them out, from top to bottom.

To put the strength of this winter in perspective, in Marin, the gauge at Lake Lagunitas hit 45 inches this week. At the same date last year, it was at 19.64. This winter’s totals at Lagunitas are 85 percent of the average annual rainfall, 52.56 inches, measured through June 30.

All the creeks are pouring down the ravines and canyons like fountains. Here’s how to see it best.

Peters Creek starts as a trickle in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve and then feeds into Portola Redwoods State Park and the Bay Area's "Lost World" en route to its confluence with Pescadero Creek.

Photo: Tom Stienstra, Tom Stienstra / The Chronicle

S.F. Peninsula

Pescadero Creek: The first trickles start on the flank of the highest spot in San Mateo County, an unsigned hill in Long Ridge Open Space, and gather to form a brook, Peters Creek, which flows through a gorgeous ravine under a hardwood canopy. Peters Creek then runs down into the Bay Area’s “Lost World,” a remote redwood grove in Portola Redwoods State Park, and then merges with the headwaters of Pescadero Creek. Here it gains strength and streams downhill amid second-growth redwoods adjacent to Haul Road and into Pescadero Creek County Park and Memorial County Park (and the trailhead for hiking, mountain biking). Ultimately, the stream widens, slows and runs into the Pescadero Valley and to the coast. It forms Pescadero Lagoon, a gorgeous marsh with habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors, and then runs under the Highway 1 Bridge and breaks through to the ocean. In the process, Pescadero Creek passes through six parks, preserves, marshes and beaches with public access. Each mile of the way, Pescadero Creek transforms the surrounding landscape.

Alpine dam in Marin where there is a waterfall that is man made. Along Lagunitas Creek there many small water fall's. on Tuesday Mar 3, 2009 in Fairfax, Calif

Photo: Kurt Rogers / The Chronicle

Marin County

Lagunitas Creek: The trip starts at pretty Lagunitas Lake, just 22 acres, on the flank of Mount Tamalpais. Lagunitas spills into 140-acre Bon Tempe, with trails at both Lagunitas and Bon Tempe. In turn, Bon Tempe then pours into Alpine Lake (the trailhead for the Cataract Trail starts beyond the dam). At Alpine Dam, the trailhead for the Kent Pump Trail is on the right, where you get a pretty view of a stepped cascade on the backside of the dam. The trail is a service road that makes for a mountain-bike route that is routed to upper Kent Lake. Below Kent Dam, access is off Sir Francis Drake. Near the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area, a trail/road runs along the outfall flows from Peters Dam. Downstream, along Sir Francis Drake, the Ink Wells provide a gorgeous series of pool-and-drops, and then gather power as they flow into Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Redwoods tower overhead on the Stream Trail. If you trace the river out, it runs to the southern end of Tomales Bay, with access at White House Pool, where you can kayak into the adjacent Giacomini Wetlands for bird watching.

Faith Henry and Rafer Clive enjoy a rock perch amid a succession of miniature waterfalls in a pool-and-drop rocky gorge of Little Yosemite at Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness in East Bay hills near Sunol

Photo: Tom Stienstra / Tom Stienstra / The Chronicle

East Bay hills

Alameda Creek: Top to bottom, there might be no stream in the Bay Area that goes through more dramatic changes than Alameda Creek. It starts in the remote Sunol Regional Wilderness, where the saturated aquifer pumps pristine water into ravines, which join and then pour through a small canyon called Little Yosemite. Though it doesn’t look anything like Yosemite Valley, at high water, the creek surges through the rocky gorge. It’s a gorgeous sight, great for photographs; 1.8-mile round trip. The creek then descends to Niles and beyond to Niles Canyon (a fish ladder is under construction near Mission Boulevard), where Highway 84 runs alongside. It then widens into more of a channel and slows. From Niles Community Park, the Alameda Creek Regional Trail (there will be a rolling closure this week for maintenance) edges each side of Alameda Creek: an unpaved route for walking, hiking and horseback riding on the north side, and a paved pathway for cycling and jogging on the south side. The paved route for cyclists is 12 miles one way and passes the Kaiser water pits, has bridged access to Quarry Lakes, and extends west to Coyote Hills Regional Park and the shore of the South Bay.

Tom Stienstra is the outdoors writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is America’s first Back Country Sportsman of the Year and the only two-time National Outdoor Writer of the year. In 2008, he won first place for best outdoors column in America. As a photographer with The Chronicle, he won first place in America for best outdoors feature image in 2011. That year he was also awarded as Far West Ski Writer of the Year. His books have sold more than 1 million copies. His first novel, "The Sweet Redemption, An Inspector Korg Mystery," was released for 2013. His television show on CBS/CW won first place as America’s best outdoor recreation show, and his radio show on CBS won first place in 2010 for best environmental feature show in America. Tom has hiked 25,000 miles, caught world-record fish, led dozens of expeditions and taken part in all phases of the outdoor experience. He was the fourth living member inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame.